Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Curlew on June 09, 2010, 10:00:16 PM
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So I recieved this in my email, figured you would all get a kick out of this. A b-17 fitted with extra guns flying alone over the pacific took on 17 zekes and survived, shown here in a "dogfights" style show. The pilot and bombardier were awarded the MOH, and the rest of the crew Distinguished Service Crosses. It was the highest decorated crew in the pacific.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Im086TCu3I
:salute to those brave men
~enjoy~
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Yea I've seen this one before brave guys. :salute
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Wow...no guts no glory. That was some ornery men to take that mission and come out of it. :salute
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Outstanding! 2 Medal of Honor awarded on same flight, 17 to 1 odds of making it back home, and they completed the mission. Just remarkable. Thanks for posting. I've never seen this one before. :salute
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:salute
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I think there was a typo there. It should have said Ol' 999 :)
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nice find :aok if we could only bring back the flying deathstars in this game ( person for every gun position)
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Outstanding! 2 Medal of Honor awarded on same flight, 17 to 1 odds of making it back home, and they completed the mission. Just remarkable. Thanks for posting. I've never seen this one before. :salute
ZEAMER, JAY JR. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Buka area, Solomon Islands, 16 June 1943. Entered service at: Machias, Maine. Birth: Carlisle, Pa. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1944. Citation: On 16 June 1943, Maj. Zeamer (then Capt.) volunteered as pilot of a bomber on an important photographic mapping mission covering the formidably defended area in the vicinity of Buka, Solomon Islands. While photographing the Buka airdrome. his crew observed about 20 enemy fighters on the field, many of them taking off. Despite the certainty of a dangerous attack by this strong force, Maj. Zeamer proceeded with his mapping run, even after the enemy attack began. In the ensuing engagement, Maj. Zeamer sustained gunshot wounds in both arms and legs, 1 leg being broken. Despite his injuries, he maneuvered the damaged plane so skillfully that his gunners were able to fight off the enemy during a running fight which lasted 40 minutes. The crew destroyed at least 5 hostile planes, of which Maj. Zeamer himself shot down 1. Although weak from loss of blood, he refused medical aid until the enemy had broken combat. He then turned over the controls, but continued to exercise command despite lapses into unconsciousness, and directed the flight to a base 580 miles away. In this voluntary action, Maj. Zeamer, with superb skill, resolution, and courage, accomplished a mission of great value.
*SARNOSKI, JOSEPH R. (Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 43rd Bomber Group, Place and date: Over Buka Area, Solomon Islands, 16 June 1943. Entered service at: Simpson, Pa. Born. 30 January 1915, Simpson, Pa. G.O. No.: 85, 17 December 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On 16 June 1943, 2d Lt. Sarnoski volunteered as bombardier of a crew on an important photographic mapping mission covering the heavily defended Buka area, Solomon Islands. When the mission was nearly completed, about 20 enemy fighters intercepted. At the nose guns, 2d Lt. Sarnoski fought off the first attackers, making it possible for the pilot to finish the plotted course. When a coordinated frontal attack by the enemy extensively damaged his bomber, and seriously injured 5 of the crew, 2d Lt. Sarnoski, though wounded, continued firing and shot down 2 enemy planes. A 20-millimeter shell which burst in the nose of the bomber knocked him into the catwalk under the cockpit. With indomitable fighting spirit, he crawled back to his post and kept on firing until he collapsed on his guns. 2d Lt. Sarnoski by resolute defense of his aircraft at the price of his life, made possible the completion of a vitally important mission.
B-17s in the Pacific rarely flew in formation and often flew alone or in flights of 4 or less.
There were never really more than 30 operational B-17's at one time due to priorities of Europe. Specifically lack of aircraft and spare parts.
The B-17 also, as we know, was very resilient to attack and more often than not managed to limp home with damage.
wrongway
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So I recieved this in my email, figured you would all get a kick out of this. A b-17 fitted with extra guns flying alone over the pacific took on 17 zekes and survived, shown here in a "dogfights" style show. The pilot and bombardier were awarded the MOH, and the rest of the crew Distinguished Service Crosses. It was the highest decorated crew in the pacific.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Im086TCu3I
:salute to those brave men
~enjoy~
Read the story of Lt. Col Jay Zeamer, it's as fasinating of a story as the map making mission over Bougainville.
ack-ack
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The B-17 also, as we know, was very resilient to attack and more often than not managed to limp home with damage.
wrongway
You probably are not intending to, but the way I read your last, belittles the flight crew, the ground crew, the plane, and the workers that assembled the plane. May a red-hot rivet find its way into your your leather pants at the next Rainbow Coalition dance sir! :neener:
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their is a is dogfights episode almost exactly like this but this one has a Brit narrator but don't get me wrong they were a great aircrew
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I find the modern CGI documentaries dull and lacking compared to the old wartime documentaries which used real footage. This one over Europe is particularly engaging: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEhd5M9uHho&feature=fvw
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oh oh they said the b-17 carried 8,000 lbs, and ours carry 6........
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B-17s in the Pacific rarely flew in formation and often flew alone or in flights of 4 or less.
There were never really more than 30 operational B-17's at one time due to priorities of Europe. Specifically lack of aircraft and spare parts.
The B-17 also, as we know, was very resilient to attack and more often than not managed to limp home with damage.
wrongway
Old 666 was a special B-17 though, she was the most heavily armed B-17 in the PTO at the time with special modifications like a forward firing .50 cals fired by the pilot. It also helped that Lt. Col Jay Zeamer was a special kind of pilot, not just your typical bomber pilot but rather had a 'fighter pilot stuck in a bomber' type of mentality and would regularly fly his B-17 as though it was a fighter. He'd routinely dive to the deck to strafe planes on an airfield or to strafe the search lights or AAA emplacements.
Too bad Old 666 was sold for scrap after the war. Don't think any pictures exist of her either.
ack-ack
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oh oh they said the b-17 carried 8,000 lbs, and ours carry 6........
I caught that too. What's up with that HTC?
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Old 666 was a special B-17 though, she was the most heavily armed B-17 in the PTO at the time with special modifications like a forward firing .50 cals fired by the pilot.
ack-ack
Ah, that explains why that excerpt credited him with a kill. I somehow imagined him hopping into a turret or the nose for a few secs with the yoke Mcguyvered to his chair. :lol
Most impressive, either way! :rock
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I caught that too. What's up with that HTC?
Perhaps because HTC models the AH B17 according to typical routine loadouts, not the documented maximum. I could be wrong. :headscratch:
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Perhaps because HTC models the AH B17 according to typical routine loadouts, not the documented maximum. I could be wrong. :headscratch:
So in the case of the Lancaster, 13-14k was routine? :confused:
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Glad you guys dig the video
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So in the case of the Lancaster, 13-14k was routine? :confused:
Yep, Lancaster Mk.1 carried 22000 pounds of ord on a regular bases. on our lanc 14k was normal
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The B-17 could carry 17,600 lbs of ord, but had to use external racks to carry anything more than 9,600, and the range was severely limited. Max internal bomb load for the G model was 9,600 lbs, but again rage suffered. The max load out over Germany was about 4,000 lbs.
Some normal operational max bomb loads, and rage at typical loads of notable WWII bombers:
B-17E:
Empty Weight: 33,280lb
Loaded weight: 53,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 4,000lb
Range: 1100 miles with 4,000lb
B-17F:
Empty Weight: 34,000lb
Loaded weight: 65,500lb
Max Bomb Load: 8,000lb
Range: 1,250 miles with 6,000lb
B-17G:
Empty Weight: 38,000lb
Loaded weight: 65,500lb
Max Bomb Load: 9,600lb
Range: 1200 miles with 6,000lb
B-24D:
Empty Weight: 32,605lb
Loaded weight: 71,200lb
Max Bomb Load: 12,000lb
Range: 1400 miles with 8,000lb
B-24J:
Empty Weight: 38,000lb
Loaded weight: 71,200lb
Max Bomb Load: 12,800lb
Range: 1540 miles with 8,000lb
B-29:
Empty Weight: 71,360lb
Loaded weight: 138,,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 20,000lb
Range: 1950 miles with 20,000lb
Halifax Mk.I:
Empty Weight: 33,860lb
Loaded weight: 55,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 13,000lb
Range: 980 miles with 13,000lb
Halifax Mk.III
Empty Weight: 39,000lb
Loaded weight: 65,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 13,000lb
Range: 1260 miles with 13,000lb
Lancaster B.I:
Empty Weight: 41,000lb
Loaded weight: 72,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 14,000lb
Range: 1040 miles with 12,000lb
Lancaster B.III:
Empty Weight: 41,500lb
Loaded weight: 72,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 14,000lb
Range: 1040 miles with 14,000lb
Lancaster B.I (Special):
Empty Weight: 36,000lb
Loaded weight: 72,000lb
Max Bomb Load: 20,000lb - Grand Slam
Range: 660 miles with 20,000lb
Heinkel He 111H:
Empty Weight: 17,000lb
Loaded weight: 30,8650lb
Max Bomb Load: 7,165lb
Range: 910 miles with 6,000lb
Heinkel He 177A-5:
Empty Weight: 37,038lb
Loaded weight: 68,343lb
Max Bomb Load: 13,225lb
Range: 1200 miles with 11,000lb